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Help! I have super dry skin in winter, what should I do?

What's the problem?

The wind, the cold, our interiors that are too confined, the soap… all this weakens the hydrolipidic film (protective film of the skin) which can no longer fulfill its role as a barrier and allows the water in the cells to escape. Result:the skin dries out, feels tight and tingles. This also applies to the body, even if the epidermis is less exposed (it is sensitive to friction from clothing).

The anti-ice plan:

On the face, avoid contact with water as much as possible, often calcareous, which dries out. Slip an oil under your day care to provide fatty substances that act as a barrier to water evaporation. In the evening, we opt for a very moisturizing treatment, which we apply in a thick layer so that it acts in depth during sleep (in the morning, we remove the excess with cotton). And for the body? We do not zap hydration after the shower and we exfoliate once a week. Avoid tight clothing and synthetic tights which compress the venous networks and amplify the effects of the cold.

The natural mask solution

If you want to opt for a more natural solution, go down to the corner supermarket to buy a lemon, an avocado and honey. Once back home, take the flesh of the avocado and mix it with lemon juice and two tablespoons of honey. Once you have obtained a homogeneous paste, apply it as a mask for 30 minutes before rinsing with clear water.

Bath or shower?

By taking a bath, your skin will initially be hyper-hydrated and then wrinkled after which it will be completely dry, so prefer a shower, preferably lukewarm. As for the products to use, opt for soaps and cleansers that are neither too alkaline nor too perfumed with a pH close to that of the skin (around 5.5); check that the product is labeled "surgras".

Thanks to Marie-Hélène Lair, director of scientific communication at Clarins.